Detective Academy Q: Remake
by Starian NightZz
Summary: AU FemKyu. Renjou Yuuki had never known her father. Her only clue is that her father is a detective.Now a member of Class Q in DDS, she sets on her journey to find a connection to her father as well as treading on the path that her father took. Ryu/FemKyu
1. Renjou Yuri

_Summary:_

_AU FemKyu. Renjou Yuri had never known her father. The only clue that she had is that her father is a detective. Now a member of Class Q in the Dan Detective School, she sets on her journey to find a connection to her father as well as treading on the path that her father had taken. Ryu/FemKyu_

This is my first time attempting a DSQ fanfic, so go easy on me. And I _know _that majority of DSQ fans out there don't feel good reading a gender switch fic, but I'm going to make the pairing Ryu/Kyu, and I don't feel comfortable writing a yaoi fic (sorry to all yaoi fans!), and so I decided to switch Kyu's gender. And since he's a girl in this fic, I'm also changing his name to something more feminine.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Detective Academy Q or any of the characters, but the OCs belong to me

* * *

**Chapter One: Renjou Yuri**

"Yuri! Telephone call from Ren-kun!"

"Coming!"

A fourteen-year-old teen with dark green hair cascading down to her shoulders walked out of her bedroom before picking up the phone receiver that her mother held out to her.

"Moshi, moshi?" Renjou Yuri spoke into the phone receiver.

Light laughter greeted her on the other end of the line which Yuri instantly recognised as her best friend, Ishigawa Ren.

"_Hey Yuri. Are you free now? I need to go to the library for something."_

"Yeah. Where are you now?"

"Near the bank at the First Street."

**XXXXXX**

A silver-haired teen with his hair just brushing against his shoulders with blue eyes was leaning against the wall next to the bank as Yuri arrived. Upon catching sight of his friend, Ren waved to her.

"Yuri! Over here!"

"Sorry that I'm late!" Yuri apologised. "So what do you want to go to the library for?"

"Just some stuff," said Ren with a grin as the two walked off, but not before Ren bumped into a elderly man wearing a trench coat with an umbrella hanging from his arm, causing him to drop the several yen notes which he was holding which scattered all over the ground.

"Hey kid! Watch where you're going!" snapped the man before bending down to pick up the yen notes.

"Sorry!" apologised Ren before bending down and helping the man to pick up the notes. Upon seeing this, Yuri helped too.

The man frowned as he counted the yen notes in his hand before he grabbed Ren by his shirt. "Oi! There's a ten thousand yen note missing! You took it, didn't you?!"

"Huh?!" Ren blinked owlishly at the man. "I didn't!"

"Then it's you!" The man turned to glare at Yuri this time.

"I didn't!"

"What's going on?" A police officer came to the scene just then, especially since the commotion had attracted a group of bystanders, all looking on with curiosity.

"Sir, I've just withdrawn some money out from the bank when these two kids bumped into me, scattering the money all over the ground. Now I'm missing a ten thousand yen note!"

"Like I'm trying to tell you!" said Yuri, trying to explain. "We didn't take any of your money!"

A pink-haired girl with her hair tied up into two ponytails stepped out from the crowd just then, and all four turned towards her. "118 thousand yen," she stated, and the police officer and the man went, "Huh?"

"That's the amount that was scattered on the ground," explained the girl. "To be exact, 9 ten thousand bills, 5 five thousand bills, and 3 one thousand bills. Sir, please count the money."

The police officer blinked before realising that the girl was speaking to him. "Erm…okay." He took the wad of notes from the man before counting the notes carefully. "Let's see…" The police officer blinked. "That's right! That's exactly right!"

Whispers started to spread from among the crowd. "Then that means that they didn't steal it," said the girl.

Ren and Yuri both can only stare at the girl in wonder.

"Hey wait!" snapped the man. "I just withdrew one hundred thousand yen. There can't only be 9 ten thousand yen bills."

Yuri 'hmmed' before stepping up to the man in question, much to Ren's confusion. "Yuri? What are you doing?" Ren started, only to stare, along with everyone else, as the girl took the umbrella hanging from the man's arm.

"What are you doing?!" demanded the man.

"Just this," said Yuri before opening the umbrella and everyone can only stare as the missing ten thousand yen bill floated gently out from the umbrella and onto the ground. The dark-haired girl then bent down and picked up the yen note before handing it to the man. "There you go. I'm glad that you've found it."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the three teenagers with one adult found themselves in an ice-cream parlour where the man had insisted on treating them to deserts as apology.

"I'm really sorry. I blew my top," said the man with a sheepish smile. "This is on me. Order whatever you want."

"Really?" said the girl who had helped both Yuri and Ren out earlier, being seated next to Yuri. "Then I'll have a chocolate parfait."

"How about you both?" asked the man, looking at Yuri and Ren both.

"Well, I don't have to work today, so I guess I can have one," said Ren sheepishly. "I'll have a chocolate parfait as well."

Ren was an orphan, and since he does not have any living relatives especially since both his parents died when he was only six years old, he had been living by himself since then. He supported himself through school and daily necessities by taking on part-time jobs. Yuri had met him as Ren lived next door to her.

"My mom is cooking dinner at home, so…" muttered Yuri.

"Dinner's just dinner!" said the man good-naturedly. "You're a growing teen! You can have a snack, right?"

"All right," said Yuri, giving in. "I'll have a chocolate parfait too."

"There you go!" said the man before leaning back into his seat. "I'll have to leave soon, so…"

"I'll repeat your order," said the waitress who was taking down their orders. "Three chocolate parfaits. Is that it? I'll be back in a bit."

"I'm sorry," said the man, apologising once more as the waitress walked away to get their orders. "I have to run to the station to get a ticket."

"Are you going on a trip?" asked the girl with interest.

"My daughter is getting married in Hokkaido," said the man proudly. "The money is for her." He then got up from his seat. "Well, sorry about that. I'll pay for those, so enjoy them." He then picked up his hat and left the ice-cream parlour.

"He left," said Ren, blinking owlishly.

"What should we do?" asked Yuri, looking from one to the other.

"Thank you for waiting!" said a voice, and all three looked up to see the waitress from before at their table, handing out their chocolate parfaits. "Here you go."

"Since he paid for it, let's eat!" said the girl cheerfully, picking up a spoon.

"Right!" said Yuri before noticing the girl looking at her. "I'm Yuri. Renjou Yuri. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Ishigawa Ren," said Ren with a smile. "We're both in our senior year in junior high. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Minami Megumi," said the girl, introducing herself. "I'm also a senior in junior high."

"Oh, we're the same age?" Ren pondered absent-mindedly. "I thought that you're older than us."

Megumi sweat-dropped. "Do I look that old?"

* * *

"Deduction?" said Megumi as the trio walked down the streets that night, having carried on a conversation that had lasted the entire day.

"Yep," said Yuri. "He didn't look like he was lying and no one else could have taken the money in that situation. That means the money must have disappeared somewhere before it hit the ground, right? The only thing that I could think of is the umbrella."

Megumi can only stare and Ren laughed. "You'd best get used to things like that if you're going to be around Yuri," he said. "She puts things like this together by herself most of the time."

"Amazing!" said Megumi.

"Eh?" Yuri blinked.

"You're amazing!" chirped Megumi. "I want to make deductions like that, too."

"This is the first time I heard another teen our age say something like that," said Ren with a grin before he recalled something. "By the way, how did you know how much was scattered on the ground?"

"That's because…" Megumi trailed off. "I remembered it."

"You remembered it?" Yuri blinked. "In that split second?"

"Do you know what a 'photographic memory' is?" asked Megumi.

"What's that?" asked Ren.

"Once you see something, even if it's just for a second, you remember it," said Megumi. "I was born with that ability."

"Wow!"

Megumi blinked before turning her head towards the direction where a construction site currently was. "Someone's up there…"

"Where?" asked Ren.

"On the crane on top of the building," said Yuri, her sharp eyes catching sight of the shadow, pointing towards the crane. "I wonder what he's doing up there?"

Megumi frowned as all three caught sight of the shadow waving a flashlight to and fro. "Doesn't he look like he's waving goodbye?" she asked.

"Goodbye…?" Ren nearly whispered, turning pale. "Don't tell me…!"

To the horrified eyes of all three, the shadow atop the crane stopped waving and fell off the crane.

"No!" Megumi nearly screamed. "He jumped!"

"No way!" Yuri took off down the street to where the construction site was, with the other two close on her heels. As it is, they nearly got into a collision with a teen several years older than them on a bicycle.

"Sorry!" apologised Megumi before the three rushed down the street, despite the shouts of the teen riding the bicycle.

Within moments, the trio soon arrived at the entrance of the construction site. "Hey!" Yuri called out.

"What are you guys in such a hurry for?!" demanded the teen whom they had nearly collided with earlier, finally catching up with them.

"Someone jumped off the building!" Yuri informed the teen.

"What?!" The teen nearly choked before he spotted someone lying on the floor not far from them and rushed up to him. "Hey!" He then bent down to listen to his heartbeat, covering the sight of the body from the trio before he closed the eyes of the man. "Call the police."

As he moved away, the three gasped as they recognised the man lying on the ground as the same man who had treated them to chocolate parfaits just a few hours ago. "This man is…!"

"No way!" Megumi cried out.

**XXXXXX**

The police was soon called for, and the construction workers questioned, with them writing down their contact information so that the police can contact them if the need arises.

Yuri frowned as she noticed the site superintendent twitching his left eye as he wrote down his contact details. _'Huh? That is strange.'_

Meanwhile, Megumi, Ren, and the teen from earlier who had introduced himself as Toyama Kintarou were surveying the crane from the ground. "It takes ten minutes to get to the top of the crane, right?" said Ren, craning his neck.

"That means they all have an alibi, right?" mused Megumi before she blinked and turned to her side to see that Yuri is missing from her side. "Huh? Where's Yuri-chan?"

Ren blinked and looked around before noticing Yuri on the elevator that transports the workers up to the crane. "Oi, Yuri! What are you doing?!"

"Detective, I'm borrowing this for a while!"

"Oi!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, the elevator that transports the workers to the crane _finally _reached the top, much to Yuri's relief. "This is really slow," she muttered to herself before carefully making her way across the beams to where the crane is.

"Oi, is she going to be all right?" wondered Kinta.

"That's dangerous! Get back here!" shouted the detective.

"Hey, Yuri-chan!" called Megumi.

A strong wind blew just then, nearly causing Yuri to fall before she managed to fall flat atop the crane, much to the relief of all those watching. "That was close," she muttered before brightening up as she noticed the rubber cord tied to the crane and crawled over to the spot where the cord was tied on her hands and knees. Yuri's sharp eyes noted the ends of the cord. "I see!"

**XXXXXX**

And so…

"You're really going to continue searching for evidence?" asked Ren with a sigh, his hands planted on his hips as he watched his friend get down on her hands and knees searching for the evidence that she kept harping on about to the police a few hours earlier.

The crowd had scattered, and Yuri and Ren were the only ones left, with Megu and Kinta heading back earlier.

"Yeah," said Yuri with a nod without looking up. "I'm not giving up! There's no way that the old man killed himself!"

Ren sighed for the umpteenth time that night. "Ano sa, Yuri," he said. "Even if you are extremely sharp and perceptive, what do you think that you can find that the police can't?"

Both blinked just then as the light of a flashlight brightened up the area where Yuri was searching, and both looked up to see Megu standing behind them with a flashlight in her hand. "It's something small, right?" she said. "I don't know what you're looking for, but it'll be hard to find it alone. I'll help you out."

Ren sighed, shrugging his shoulders and getting down on his hands and knees as well. "I'll help out too," he said. "I've known you ever since we're kids, Yuri. You wouldn't say and do things like this without a reason."

"This looks like fun," said a voice and everyone turned to see Kinta walking towards them. "Can I help too?"

"Thank you, both of you," said Yuri with a grateful smile.

"Oi. What about me?" protested Ren.

"Hai, hai," said Yuri tiredly. "Anyway, let's do it. Megu, can you shine the light over here?"

"Okay."

Yuri scanned the brightened area closely, still on her hands and knees with Ren, with Kinta standing by Megu's side, both looking closely as well. "Tilt it a little more," said Yuri which Megu obliged. "A little more."

Yuri looked left and right continuously before she spotted something shining not far from her and beamed. "Found it!" she chirped.

Everyone turned towards Yuri at the moment she said that. "You found it?!" said Kinta. "Where is it?"

However, at this moment, water started splattering down on them, but Yuri didn't take her eyes off the spot where she had found the evidence that she's searching for so desperately.

"What is this?" Megu nearly screamed. "Rain?"

"Damn! Where is it?!" Ren cursed to himself.

"It'll get washed away!"

Yuri leapt at the ground where she had seen the evidence that she had been searching for and frantically scanned the ground for it. Megu screamed before noticing where the water had been coming from and noticed through the 'rain' that the water was sprouting from a water hose aimed towards their initial direction.

"There! The water's coming from there!" said Megu, pointing one finger towards the hose.

"Damn!" Kinta cursed before he marched towards the hose with Ren by his side and grabbed the hose. "Why is a hose here?"

Ren and Kinta then headed towards the water hydrant which the hose was fixed to and turned off the water quickly.

"Was the evidence washed away?" asked Megu in dismay, soaked to the skin, along with every one of them.

Yuri sat back on her knees, and Megu who was by her side looked at her. "Why don't you come on out?" asked Yuri calmly. "I know you're there. He waved the flashlight in circles from the top of the building. He got people's attention and jumped off. Of course, anyone watching would think that it's a suicide, wouldn't they? Besides, once you mingled with the witnesses that ran to the site… Even if it's investigated as a murder, the slow elevator gives you a perfect way out." Yuri got to her feet. "It was a nice trick to establish an alibi. The murderer is you, isn't it? Shinoda-san."

"Eh?" Megumi blinked.

"Shinoda?" Kinta gasped.

"The site superintendent?" Ren blinked.

"Wait a minute, I don't know what you're talking about," said the superintendent in question, walking out of the shadows. "I didn't want the employees to see the blood on the ground, so I was just going to wash it away. I didn't know that you guys are here. Besides, you saw how Nakajima jumped off, right? He pointed the flashlight towards the sky and waved it in circles. And then—"

"You said it again," said Yuri calmly.

"Eh?"

"How do you know that he pointed the flashlight towards the sky and waved it in circles?" asked Yuri. "He was on top of a tall building. And it was far too. To me, Megu and Ren who saw it happen from a distance, it looked like he was swinging it from side-to-side."

"That's right," said Ren, nodding.

"Yeah. That's what I saw too," said Megu.

"But you know that he pointed it towards the sky and waved it in circles," said Yuri, looking at a paling Shinoda and walking towards him slowly. "You knew because you were the one doing it, right? There was a rubber cord tied to the top of the crane. In other words, what we saw was not a jump. It was a bungee jump, made to look like a jump to one's death! After you prepared the bungee jump, you called Nakajima-san to the roof and pushed him off. Then you climbed on the crane and waved the flashlight. So people on the ground like ourselves would know that you were going to jump. And then, you jumped off."

"I see!" Ren muttered, finally realising what Yuri was trying to put across. "What an ingenious trick!"

Yuri continued as if Ren had never spoken at all. "After that, you used the extra rope that you were holding to get down on the ground and cut the bungee cord. When the cord lost your weight, it snapped back to the top of the crane. Even if the rope was hanging from the crane, no one would figure it out."

"That's an interesting story," said Shinoda, beads of sweat sliding down his face, taking a few steps backwards. "But it's all based on conjecture."

"Yes," said Yuri, nodding. "But just a little while ago, during our talk with the detective and what I've said when I went to the top of the crane, you remembered the evidence that you've left behind at the site, and tried to get rid of it by washing it away. Isn't that right?"

"Evidence? What are you talking about?"

"I found it at the very last moment," said Yuri, and her friends looked at her. "The contact lens that fell out during the bungee jump." And she opened her clenched hand to reveal a single contact lens in the palm of her hand, and the eyes of everyone present widened.

"That's what it was!" said Kinta, his eyes nearly bulging out.

"Amazing…" whispered Megu in awe.

Ren grinned. "Not bad, Yuri," he said.

"When you were writing down your information, you closed one of your eyes and seemed to have a hard time reading," said Yuri. "Anyone using contact lenses knew this. It's difficult to write without one of your contact lenses. If the police examine this contact lens, a DNA test will prove that it's yours."

"It was a mistake to think of you as just another brat. I underestimated you," snarled Shinoda before whipping out a dagger from his side. "Now give it back to me!" And he dashed at the foursome.

Yuri and Megu took several steps backwards in fear, neither one of them noticing the glint that both Ren and Kinta have in their eyes. Ren dealt a karate chop to the hand holding the dagger, causing Shinoda to drop it, and Kinta took the chance to deal a karate kick to that very same hand, causing Shinoda to nurse his wrist.

"Nice teamwork, you two!" said Megu, and Ren grinned.

"Kendo, Judo, Karate. Ten dan in all!" announced Kinta proudly. "Don't underestimate Toyama Kintarou-sama!"

"He's getting away!" shouted Ren as Shinoda took off, and the four took chase after him through the dark construction site, being slowed down a little by the beam pillars that Shinoda used to slow them down.

"Wait!" Megu called out, chasing down Shinoda before both girls saw the designer of the construction site not far from where Shinoda is. "Watch out!"

"Get out of the way!"

Much to everyone's surprise, the designer grabbed Shinoda's hand and threw him to the ground, holding him in a deep arm lock.

"O-Ouch!"

"Shinoda-san, you are accused of using your position as site superintendent to divert money and embezzle funds," announced the site designer. "Nakajima-san was the one who told the owner the truth, wasn't he?"

"I couldn't forgive him!" growled Shinoda. "He acted all righteous and ratted me out!"

"You killed him because of that?" said Yuri.

"Detective Arai, I'll leave the rest to you," said the designer, and the four teens turned to see the detective from before walking out from behind a wall with two police officers by his sides to take Shinoda in custody.

"Shinoda Hitoshi, you're under arrest for the murder of Mr Nakajima Yoshio," announced the detective as a pair of handcuffs was snapped on his wrists. "Take him away."

"Yes sir!"

The detective then saluted the designer. "I appreciate your help with the investigation," he said. "With that, excuse me."

"Thanks to you guys, the investigation is complete," said the designer, turning towards the four teens as the siren of a police car pierced through the air. "Thank you very much."

"Um…" Megu blinked. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a detective hired by the owner to conduct a top secret investigation," said the designer. "I'm Katagiri Shino, a teacher at DDS."

"DDS?!"

"The only detective academy in Japan where you're allowed to carry a gun? The Dan Detective School?!"

Katagiri chuckled before handing a green envelope to Yuri. "Here. Take this as my thanks for the help that you've given," she said.

"What's this?"

"It's the guide for the enrolment exam which will be held next week," said Katagiri. "Of course, it's for DDS."

"DDS?!"

"The enrolment exam?!" Kinta beamed.

"Try taking the exam," said Katagiri with a smile. "You guys may do pretty well."

The four exchanged looks before Ren grinned, placing one arm around Yuri. "It's like a dream come true, huh, Yuri?"

"Yeah."


	2. The Entrance Test

Sorry for the late update, people! I have a serious case of writer's block for this story, and I _really _have no idea just how people would take a gender-bending fic for Detective Academy Q as well. Anyway, I'm back now, and I really _really _appreciate all those who have reviewed! I'll probably be following canon for the most part, only with some subtle changes with the addition of Ren. And before anyone asks, yes, this is a Ryu/FemKyu pairing.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Detective Academy Q or any of the characters, but the OCs belong to me

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Entrance Test**

Two days before the entrance test for DDS can find Ishigawa Ren and Renjou Yuri making their way towards the local library to prepare for the test. Ren was laughing his ass off at what Yuri was telling him about her mother's initial reaction when she had caught wind that her precious daughter is going to attend a detective school.

"I told you that Mizue-san would react like that." Ren was still laughing half-an-hour later, and it is a wonder that he hadn't yet passed out due to lack of oxygen.

Yuri rolled her eyes at her best friend in exasperation. "Hah hah hah. _Very _funny," she said irritably. "Go on. Make fun of the girl whose mother almost kept her under house arrest when she'd gotten kidnapped back then."

Ren was silent then.

He had practically grown up with Yuri, and knew that she had gotten kidnapped when she was very young. If he recall correctly, Yuri should be about seven when that had happened – about a year after he had first met Yuri and her mother when he had moved in next door to them with his guardian.

His guardian had died about two years ago due to severe health complications, and he was then listed as an emancipated minor by the court, as he had no other living relations that neither the court nor he knew of.

Thus, Mizue almost made it a point to have Ren have dinner with them, and she is almost like a mother to Ren who couldn't even remember his, as both his parents have died when he was about three. Thus, the boy knew how much of a mother-hen that Renjou Mizue could be, and how over-protective that she could be of her only child. Yuri had actually suspected that it might be due to her father being a detective, and Yuri had shown signs of wanting to step on the same career path as well.

"So what did you say or do to compromise with Mizue-san?" asked Ren with interest, knowing quite well that Yuri must have made some compromise with her mother in order for her mother to allow her to attend detective school.

Yuri sighed. "I've taken up a part-time job at a delivery company, as you know, Ren." Ren nodded, currently working in the same company as well, as he had been the one to recommend Yuri to join the same company, as they are short-handed on delivery staff. "I'll keep up my tuition fee with my pay, as well as studying the modules that most high school students are studying. And I'll take my high school diploma privately once I'd turned eighteen. The same thing that _you're_ going to do."

Ren chuckled. "I'm surprised that Mizue-san had agreed to that," he commented.

Yuri sighed. "Actually, I think that kaa-san knew that I'll still take the entrance test for DDS, regardless whether she agreed or not. She might as well make it easier on both of us by giving her permission."

Ren chuckled to himself once more before the two entered the Tokyo library, quietening down as they entered the building. Yuri made a beeline towards the non-fiction section of the library whilst Ren headed towards the Research section.

Yuri was running her eyes down the various titles of the books on the shelf when she happened to look up, and noticed a particularly interesting book title on the top shelf, lying on its side. Yuri stood on tiptoes in order to try to reach the book, and much to her frustration, she realised that her fingers just barely brushed against the book, as it is forbidden to use a chair in the library to reach the book.

Yuri was pretty short for her age, and even Ren topped her by a head and a half by height. The Megu girl that she'd met during the site murder incident was also easily a head taller than her. Mizue has no idea just why Yuri is short for her age as well, and had mentioned once that it is probably due to some childhood trauma that had caused her to be short for her age.

Yuri growled as she stretched up as far as she could go, with her left hand gripping hold of the bookshelf to keep her balance, as she moved her right hand about the shelf until she could feel the edge of the book, and she strained to get a grasp on said book. Yuri growled low in her throat as she stretched even higher only to feel the annoying book slipping away from her.

There was a small thud just then, and a now empty shelf where her hand was searching, causing Yuri to blink owlishly. She then heard a pained yelp on the other side of the bookshelf, and a muffled curse from the owner of the voice.

Yuri blinked owlishly before stepping around the bookshelf only to raise a curious eyebrow when she saw a rather handsome blue haired teen wearing a black turtleneck shirt with a silver rectangular pendant hanging from his neck, with black cargo jeans and black and white sneakers. The boy seemed to be about a year or two older than herself, and was currently rubbing his head with one hand. The other hand was holding the book that Yuri had been trying to reach, and understanding immediately dawned on her.

The boy turned and soon spied her at the end of the bookshelf, and he winced as his fingers touched a bump on his head where the book had struck him. "I assume that _you _are the reason that this book had suddenly decided to take a parachute dive on my head?" he asked dryly, and Yuri smiled with embarrassment.

"Sorry about that," said Yuri sheepishly. "The book is a little too high for me. I didn't mean to push it onto your head."

The boy sighed before handing the book to Yuri who took it. "Apology accepted," he said. He then glanced at the title of the book and raised his brow. "'Mysteries and How to Solve Them'." He muttered. "I didn't expect for you to be interested in this kind of book. You want to be a detective?"

"Kind of." Yuri admitted, hugging the book to her chest. "I'm Yuri. Renjou Yuri. But you can call me Yuri. What is your name?"

"Ryu. Amakusa Ryu," said the teen. He then smiled. "It's interesting."

"What is?"

But Ren choose to pop up from out of nowhere just then before Ryu can answer that question, with about three books in his arms. "Yuri, time to go, or we'll be late."

Yuri glanced at her watch and sighed when she saw that Ren is right. She then turned towards a curious Ryu. "Sorry, but I have to go," she said. "Sorry for that bump on your head."

Ryu nodded slowly, eyeing Yuri with interest. "Will I see you around?"

"If you live in this town as well, maybe," said Yuri with light laughter, before moving towards the checkout counter.

**XXXXXX**

_DDS Test Centre  
Japan_

"So this is the place?" Yuri asked, staring at the building that both she and Ren were standing in front of with wide eyes, a blue satchel with its strap across her chest hanging by her side.

She was currently dressed in a white long sleeved shirt, with the sleeves in a black and white stripe design, with designs of butterflies on her shirt. She was also wearing a dark blue hoodie over her shirt, and a pair of black jeans with black and white sneakers finished her look off, and she was also wearing a black choker with a silver rectangular pendant hanging from it.

"Well, this _is_ the address that we're given," said Ren with a sigh. "Though if you ask me, it almost seems like a concert hall."

The guy seemed almost like he was going to a rock-and-roll concert, as he was wearing a black T-shirt with a design on it which seems almost like he was going to a rock-and-roll concert, with slightly tattered black jeans, and black sneakers, with a dark blue satchel hanging by his side, with the strap hanging across his chest. He was also wearing a single dagger-like silver earring on his left ear, and a black choker with a silver cross hanging from it was also hanging from his neck.

"Yuri-chan! Ren-kun!"

The two mentioned turned when they've heard their names being called, and saw Megu and Kinta running towards them, plain excitement visible all over their faces. Yuri smiled and waved to them. "Megu! Kintarou-san! So you guys really came!"

"Of course! Do you really think so little of me?" said Kinta with a grin. "But don't call me Kintarou." He nearly whined. "I'm not a candy, you know?"

Question marks almost floated above Ren's head as the silver haired teen stared at Kinta like he had just grown two new heads. "Huh? Where did you get that from?"

Megu was equally confused as well. "Kintarou Candy?"

"Kinta-san's fine," said Kinta with a sigh. "Kinta-san."

"Whatever you say, Kinta," said Ren with a sigh.

"You forgot the '-san', Ren!"

"Anyway! Now all four of us are here!" chirped Megu, clasping both her hands together. "Let's all go into the hall together! We'll be sure to pass!"

"Of course!" said Ren proudly, sticking his nose up in the air. "Do you really doubt us?"

Yuri sighed. "Watch where you're going, Ren, or you'll walk face-first into the wall," she muttered before she turned to cross the road to enter the building.

Megu and Kinta almost lost it at that comment, and both tried to stifle their giggles as Ren turned towards his best friend with a confused look. "Huh? What do you mean, Yuri? Wait for me!"

Megu and Kinta laughed before following the two.

* * *

On the second level of the building of the DDS testing centre, a man wearing a brown business suit whilst sitting in a wheelchair smiled to himself as he watched the four teens crossing the road to enter the building.

"So they're the 'diamonds in the rough' that you were talking about?" Dan Morihiko asked with interest.

"Yes," said Katagiri Shino with pride, a smile on her face as she watched the four teens.

"I'm looking forward to this."

**XXXXXX**

_Hall, DDS Test Centre  
Japan_

Yuri's left eye was twitching uncontrollably as she glared daggers at the back of that arrogant Saburomaru Yutaka who walked away from them after insulting almost every single one of them. She hates people like that guy most of all, people who thinks that they're better than everyone else.

Hate with a capital H.

"Can I punch him?" asked Ren all of a sudden, his blue eyes turning ice-cold as he glared at Saburomaru. "I don't think anyone here will mind."

Megu sighed. "Forget it," she said. "It's not worth it to get into trouble over someone like him."

Right on cue, the lights of the hall dimmed out just then, and a spotlight shone in the middle of the stage, with Katagiri Shino standing in the middle of the spotlight, holding a microphone in her hand. "To all the applicants who have gathered here today, we will now start the first exam. Please watch the screen in front of you."

A projector was turned on just then, showing a photo of a rather messed-up room which seemed almost like a room in an inn, or maybe a cottage house of some sort. Yuri's quick mind and sharp eyes quickly set to work to memorise as many details of the photo as she could. The two luggage bags by the door, with the opened doorway that showed a lake, along with the upset ashtray with the two cigarette butts and a crumpled piece of paper were among the few details that she made sure to grind into her memory.

"What does it mean, Yuri-chan?" asked Megu, turning towards Yuri, and she was taken aback when she saw a look of total concentration on Yuri's face as the dark haired girl ignored everything around her, and concentrated fully on the photo. Beside her, Ren didn't take his eyes off of the picture as well.

The projector was turned off just then.

"The image that you have just seen was a picture of a crime scene," said Katagiri. "It was the only clue left behind in an actual murder. Right after the perpetrator left the scene, the victim, with his last ounce of strength, took that picture. By using the picture that we have just shown, I would like for all of the candidates to figure out who the murderer is. The crime took place in a cottage by a lake." Another photo was placed into the projector which showed two police officers at the doorway, but the room was relatively neat and tidy this time, with a pair of blue and green shoes on the mat. "This photo was taken by the police when they have arrived at the scene." A photo of a young man appeared on the projector screen just then. "The victim was a photographer, Fushimi Kenzou, 28 years old. A first dan black belt in judo." A photo of a lake was shown on the screen. "At some point in January, because the temperature had been 10 degree Celsius below zero for some time, he came to the lake to take pictures of the scenery. He was found dead in his bed on January 8, at 10:15am." A picture of a man lying face down on a bed with his right arm dangling over the side of the bed was shown. "The victim was stabbed to death with a knife. The time of death was sometime after 01:00am. Because he didn't die instantly, we believed that he was able to take the first picture you saw in the short time before his death."

"So the perpetrator left the scene, but came back later to destroy the evidence." Ren pondered.

"Huh?" Megu blinked.

Yuri sighed. "Think about it, Megu," she said, turning towards the pink-haired girl. And now that she thinks of it, is that hair colour even natural? "In the first picture taken by the victim, there was an ashtray on the floor, and signs of a struggle. But in the photo of the crime scene taken by the police, everything was neatly returned to its place." Kinta nodded slowly. "And judging from all the hints that we were given so far, after he stabbed the victim with a knife, the perpetrator panicked and ran out of the room without checking to make sure that the victim was dead. And later, he came back to destroy the evidence. In other words, the first picture was an attempt to identify the murderer before he had died. It's the victim's dying message!"

Megu stared at Yuri unblinkingly, unable to believe the very impressive deduction coming from the lips of someone her age. _'A-Amazing!'_

The lights of the hall were turned on just then, and all four teens turned towards the stage only to see six figures standing on the stage. Each of them had a number pinned somewhere on their clothes. The first was a woman who was dressed smartly, with a cigarette in between the fingers on her right hand; the second was a middle-aged man with his right arm in a sling; the third was a young man with bandages bound around his right ankle; the fourth was a young man who seemed to be a college student with a bandage covering his right eye wearing a ski-cap; the fifth was an elderly man with a walking stick; and the sixth was a…cactus?

"Who are those people?" Kinta wondered.

"And what is a cactus doing on the stage?" Ren almost sweat dropped.

"The six people on the stage are staff members portraying the suspects in this crime. These six, who stayed at a lakeside hotel two kilometres away from the crime scene each had their own motive, and none had an alibi. As you can see, three of them have injuries, but all claimed to have been injured in a small accident on the day of the murder."

"The woman is left-handed," said Megu, looking closely at the woman with the number '1' pinned on her blouse. "Because she's wearing her watch on her right hand."

"Number 2 has an injured right arm," said Kinta.

"Number 3 has bandages around his ankle." Megu added, squinting closely.

"Is the eye patch on student Number 4 also an injury?" Kinta wondered. He then turned his gaze to the old man. "And I doubt that it's Number 5. There's no way that an old man with a cane could kill a black belt in judo."

"And Cactus Number 6 is out of the question naturally." Ren sweat dropped. _'And what the hell is a cactus doing in this case anyway?'_

'_Let's see…' _Yuri frowned, rubbing the pendant on her choker with the habit that she always had whenever she was thinking deeply. _'There are those photos, and the injuries on those suspects… And it is 10 degree Celsius below zero for some time, which meant that the surface of the lake was frozen solid. Then the absence of those shoes from the first photo, and the sudden reappearance of it in the second photo…' _Her eyes widened. _'I see!'_

"I see!" Yuri muttered, and the three turned towards her. "I know who the murderer is!"

Ren smirked. "Me too."

"Ren-kun and Yuri-chan? You're kidding!"

"I've decided as well!" said Kinta, tossing a pair of dices into the air, and Megu turned towards him in confusion as the dices fell into his hand. "With these!"

Megu nearly sweat dropped. "Dice?" she echoed. "You're going to use those to decide?"

"Now the six suspects will leave the hall, and each of them will head towards a specific location. Candidates, please follow the one that you think is the perpetrator, and determine their destination by 03:00pm." All six suspects, save for the cactus, began moving off the stage. "The second test, a written exam, will only be given to those who have guessed right."

The examinees have begun leaving the hall, and Ren tapped Yuri's shoulder. "Yuri."

Yuri nodded, but she noticed a panicked look in Megu's eyes, and she gave a small smile. "Megu, I'll give you a small hint for you to figure out on your own," she said, and Megu turned towards her. "The answer is more than what appears in the picture."

"More than what appears in the picture?" Megu echoed.

Ren grinned and winked at Megu. "With your photographic memory, it should be no problem for you to figure out by your own," he said, and Megu furrowed her brow together before she brightened up. "Figured it out?"

"Yeah!" said Megu with a nod. "Thank you!"

"Number 3," said Yuri with a grin. "That's the perpetrator."

"Oh, so you guys thought that that guy is the perpetrator as well?" Kinta chipped in, still playing with his dices.

Ren sweat dropped. "You decide on the murderer with your dice?" he deadpanned.

**XXXXXX**

_Minamiyama Nature Park  
Japan_

Megu panted on her hands and knees as she tried to catch her breath back, with both her and the genius fifth grader games programmer, Narusawa Kazuma, playing 'Flying Fox' when Kinta have literally thrown them both up onto the ground when the bridge that they were crossing had given way beneath the combined weights of five people.

All five have followed the 'murderer' all the way to the Minamiyama Nature Park, where much to Yuri and Ren's displeasure, they have the unfortunate luck to run into Saburomaru Yutaka once more. It actually took the combined efforts of both Megu and Kinta to prevent the two from murdering the arrogant 'Tokyo University student with an IQ of 180' on the spot.

There was a grunt just then, and Megu turned only to see Ren and Kinta scaling the ropes of the broken bridge to get to land. "Ren-kun! Kinta!"

"Eh? Where's Yuri?" asked Ren, looking left and right.

Right on cue, there was a shout.

"I'M GOING TO KILL THE DAMN BASTARD WHO HAD MESSED UP THE SIGNBOARD OF THE BRIDGE!"

All four looked down at the lake below the broken bridge just then only to see Yuri in the lake, struggling to keep her head above the water, and coughing all the while.

Ren paled instantly.

He knew how scared Yuri was of the water, especially having almost drowned once when she was a child. She would never willingly go into a pool, even the shallow end, and she almost had a panic attack once in elementary school when a classmate had accidentally pushed her into the pool during physical education.

"Shit! Yuri can't swim!"

"What?! You're joking, right?" Kinta paled as he turned towards Ren.

"Yuri-chan!" Megu almost screamed, seeing Yuri go under the waters of the lake, and she didn't resurface which almost caused Megu to suffer a heart attack.

"The three of you go on ahead! We'll catch up with you!" said Ren, standing up.

"Huh? What do you mean, Ren-kun—?"

Ren took a dive off the cliff that they were on just then, diving straight into the waters of the lake head-first. He didn't surface for several moments, and Megu, Kinta and Kazuma all watched the clear waters of the lake with bated breaths and beating hearts. Just as Kinta was planning to jump into the lake to search for the two, Ren's head broke the surface just then, gasping for breath, with a rescue hold on Yuri who was coughing and gasping harshly to get the water out of her lungs, and for her much needed oxygen.

"Ren-kun! Yuri-chan!" Megu called out.

"Go on ahead!" Ren shouted over his shoulder as the strong currents of the lake took them both further downstream. "We'll be alright!"

**XXXXXX**

Yuri paled instantly as the low drones of a siren wailed through the forest that they were in.

Both Ren and her have both encountered an 'injured hiker' sometime back, which Yuri can guess immediately is part of the entrance test as well, though it took some major convincing on her part to convince Ren to leave the 'injured hiker' alone.

"Ren."

"Hmm?"

"Go on ahead," said Yuri, looking over her shoulder. "I'll be right back."

"Oi, Yuri—"

But Yuri had vanished into the bushes.

**XXXXXX**

"Mister, I mean no disrespect when I say this, but maybe you should consider losing some weight," said Yuri tiredly, having spent almost all her strength just to haul the 'injured hiker' up from the cliff just before the water level of the lake had hit where he is when the dam had opened the doors to release the water into the lake.

The man laughed tiredly. "Yeah, maybe I should," he said. "That sure was a close one." He smiled at Yuri. "Thank you for that. What is your name?"

"Yuri," said Yuri curiously, looking at the man. "Renjou Yuri."

The man's eyes widened a slight fraction when she had said her last name, and Yuri could almost see him mouthing 'Renjou' before he regained his composure. "Yuri-chan, huh?" he mused. "Okay, Yuri. I have two questions for you." Yuri nodded curiously. "The first is why did you desert me even though I had a broken bone? The second is, why did you return even though you had abandoned me in the first place?" The man beamed at Yuri with a smile that made it difficult for anyone to dislike him. "Please tell me."

"Okay," said Yuri with a nod. "First off, I knew that you weren't asking for help because of a broken bone." At a quirked brown from the man, Yuri proceeded to explain. "It was because of your shoes. Even though it is quite worn down and dirty, the soles aren't dirty at all." The man glanced down at his own shoes with a strange look on his face. "And that's really strange, don't you think? You were supposedly hiking a mountain trail, and yet, the soles of your shoes do not have any dirt on them at all. That's why I figured that it was a trick to disqualify the candidates."

"I see," said the man with interest. "Then why did you come back?"

"Because I heard the siren for the dam's water release," said Yuri, glancing over at the lake, and back to the man. "When I was young, I used to play along this mountain and by the lake with Ren. But when the water is released from a dam, the waters of the lake can suddenly surge, and it's very dangerous. So I thought that you might get caught in it."

"But what if, like you said, I was faking my injury?" questioned the man. "I could've climbed up the cliff and ran off by myself, right?"

"I didn't think that you could do that either, Mister," said Yuri with a small smile. "Not only do your shoes not have any dirt on them, and even though they seem to be pretty old, the soles aren't worn at all. That means that even if you wear those shoes every day, you don't walk much at all. For instance, you might be in a wheelchair or something." The eyes of the man widened a slight fraction. "If that was the case, then there would be no way you could've climbed this cliff by yourself. So I hurried back."

"I see," said the man with a smile. "You have good observational skills."

Yuri glanced at her watch and sighed. "But now, I'm probably disqualified from the second exam," she said with a sigh, disappointment in her tone. "It's a shame after having came all this way, but it can't be helped."

"Don't say that, Yuri-chan!" said the man, a harsh tone in his voice, and Yuri turned towards him with a startled look in her eyes. "If the detective gives up, then the case will never be solved! It's still too early to give up! As long as you don't give up, there is still a chance!"

Yuri blinked owlishly. "Mister?"

"I'm all right now," said the man. "Go on ahead."

Yuri blinked, before she smiled and nodded. "Okay!"

She then got up and started sprinting up the narrow cliff, thanking her stars for all her training during junior high when she is in the athlete club. The man smiled to himself as he looked at Yuri's departing back as she disappeared from his sight.

'_Renjou Yuri-chan, huh?' _he mused to himself. He then took off his glasses, revealing the wise visage of Dan Morihiko, and he smiled. _'What an interesting girl. And 'Renjou', huh? I wonder… Could she be…?'_

**XXXXXX**

_Examination Centre  
Minamiyama Nature Park_

The light sounds of pencils tapping against the tabletop as the occupants answered the examination questions filled the room. Ren glanced at his watch before looking at the door anxiously. _'Yuri, where are you?'_

'_She'll definitely come.' _Kinta thought to himself as he stared at his question paper.

'_Yuri-chan…' _Megu thought to herself with worry.

The door slid opened just then, and every single occupant in the room turned towards the door only to see a rather dishevelled looking Yuri standing at the doorway, hunched over on her hands and knees as she tried to catch her breath back, with Kinta's jacket in one hand, and Kazuma's hat in the other.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Yuri apologised, still panting heavily. "Please let me take the test too!"

"Yuri-chan!" Megu smiled as she stood up from her seat.

"Sure took your own sweet time, Yuri!" Ren said, relief evident in his voice at Yuri's appearance.

"What the heck took you so long?" Kinta asked, standing up as well, a grin on his face.

"You found both the hat and the jacket?" asked Kazuma in wonder, standing up.

"Yeah! Thanks to these, I've managed to make it in time," said Yuri, tossing the respective items back to their owners, much to Kazuma's delight.

"Erm…there's less than ten minutes left," said the rather shocked examiner, along with every other in the examination room. "Do you still want to take it?"

"Yes please," said Yuri with a nod, recalling the words from the man from earlier. "Because if the detective gives up, then the case will never be solved!"

"Yuri, if it's you, you can do it!" said Ren encouragingly as Yuri sat down at an empty seat near the door, 'accidentally' flicking his eraser at the head of Saburomaru when the guy had said something along the lines of 'idiot'.

"Of course!"

* * *

"Yuri, how did you do?" asked Ren, approaching Yuri after the test ten minutes later who was staring out of the window, being followed by Megu, Kinta and Kazuma.

"Oh, Ren." Yuri turned around to face him. "I managed to solve only one question." She smiled wanly at him.

"Only one?"

"That can't be helped," said Kinta with a wan smile. "You only had ten minutes after all. Well, that's all right. Don't be so depressed, Yuri."

"I'm not," said Yuri, turning towards them with a smile. "Even if I can't get in, all that I've gone through the past week is enough for me. Especially that one question that I've answered…it is really interesting."

Ren almost sweat dropped. "And you're satisfied with that?"

"What a weird person." Kazuma commented.

"Amen to that." Megu sighed.

**XXXXXX**

_DDS Headquarters  
Japan_

"They were just like you said, Katagiri-kun," said Dan Morihiko that night in his office to two of his most trusted students and subordinates – Katagiri Shino and Nanami Kotarou. "That Yuri girl is definitely a diamond in the rough."

"So you've confirmed it with your eyes?" asked Katagiri with interest, and Dan nodded.

Nanami frowned. "But on top of being late to the second exam, she only got one problem correct, right?" he asked in confusion. "Is it because she saved your life?"

"I'm not that nice a person, Nanami-kun," said Dan.

"Then why?" asked Nanami in complete confusion.

"The problem that she had solved in only ten minutes," said Dan, turning towards the two. "It was a problem that I, Dan Morihiko, had the most trouble with when I was still in active service." Katagiri and Nanami gasped simultaneously. "Of course, I had also presented several hints that I had a hard time gathering, but up until now, only one other person has ever been able to solve it. With that alone, she has gained the right to enrol."

"Her name…" said Nanami with a frown after a long silence. "Renjou Yuri. Renjou… Dan-sensei, could she be…?"

"Yeah, I had thought so as well in the beginning when she had told me her name," said Dan, closing his eyes.

"I had never heard that Renjou-san had a daughter," said Katagiri, furrowing her brows together.

"That girl is a lot like him," said Dan with a fond smile. "It makes me feel like Renjou is back all over again. But regardless, even if her last name isn't 'Renjou', she had gained the right to enrol with her abilities."

**XXXXXX**

_Renjou Residence  
Japan_

Acceptance Notification.

That was the heading of the official letter from the Dan Detective School that Yuri had seen first thing in the morning when she'd received the post, and had promptly tore open the envelope when she had seen that the letter is addressed to her.

"You're kidding, right?" Yuri almost whispered, staring at the letter in her hands with wide eyes. "I…was accepted into the detective school?"

* * *

Next door, Ren was preparing his daily batch of coffee, and was just about to take a sip when he heard a loud shout of "I DID IT!" which had the instant effect to cause him to snort half his coffee up his nose immediately.

"OUCH!"

* * *

Renjou Mizue can only shake her head at her daughter's excitement as she went about preparing breakfast for the both of them. _'She's indeed her father's daughter.'_

* * *

_A/N: I apologise if it seems too rushed, and I'll also appreciate some ideas for future chapters so that it won't be so similar to canon. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	3. Kamikakushi Village

Sorry for the super long hiatus, people! I've run clean out of ideas for this story! So someone had been asking me about the DDS cases for this story, and I'll appreciate some ideas for that, as I am not _that _great of a mystery writer to think up of complicated cases for the DDS team to handle. Also, I've changed Yuri's name to Yuri, as I think that it suits her personality more.

**Warnings: **AU Universe. Gender switch. Character deaths.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Detective Academy Q or any of the characters, but I do own the OC characters

* * *

**Chapter Three: Kamikakushi Village**

Renjou Yuri was _very _relieved when it finally came time for her to alight from the bus that would take them to the Kamikakushi Village – a village known for it's mysterious disappearances where at least seven people have disappeared from for the past ten years.

Yuri had always known that life as a detective is going to be challenging and tough, but she had been ready for the challenges lying ahead. Nearly two months ago was when Dan-sensei has gathered the two classes of A and Q to some island where they were to 'investigate' a case of Jack the Ripper from years ago. But then, the bodies of the students of A class were found mysteriously butchered.

It was difficult for them to investigate in the beginning, as tempers were at an all-time high, and not to mention that suspicions were running high and wild, but the Q class had managed to work together in the end, and have managed to figure out that the 'murders' were all just part of a test put together by Dan-sensei to test them, as the members of Q class were all part of the 'Qualified Class', and were put in the running to be his heir.

That had been nearly two months ago, and the two months that had followed after that was filled with case after case. Like the case of the death of the spirit medium when an old classmate of Ren and Yuri's had approached them, asking for their help, as a spirit medium had came to her house, claiming to be sent by her mother before her death in a plane crash. Then the case of the dead body of the doctor discovered within the depths of the sea whose murder had been a cleverly planned trick.

And for the first time, all Q class members (sans for Ren) discovered just how terrified Yuri had been of the water when Kinta had accidentally pushed her in. Ren had nearly killed Kinta when he had practically half-drowned Yuri until Ryu had regained his bearings _and _his senses before anyone else, and had pulled her out.

Now, nearly four months after having joined the Dan Detective School, the Q class were all on their way to the mysterious Kamikakushi Village, being sent by Dan-sensei to investigate the mysterious disappearances that have taken place there during the past seven years.

"Alright, where to next?" Kinta asked, stretching to get the kinks and knots out of his body for sitting too long on the bus.

"We have to pass through a long tunnel in order to get to Hyoutan Village," said Megu, pointing towards some random direction, and which they have all started walking towards.

Ren who had been the unofficial information specialist of the Q class had been the one always gathering information on things like that during their cases, being assisted by Kazuma. The pink haired girl had seen the information on Ren's laptop in the classroom when both the silver haired teen and the brunette have been investigating Hyoutan Village and Kamikakushi Village when they were informed by Dan-sensei to investigate the disappearances occurring in the village.

The fact that the small village wasn't really listed in any guidebooks set aside, both Ren and Yuri seemed to be rather concerned about the disappearances. The both of them, along with Ryu, have the sharpest senses and instincts among the group, and the rest of Q class have long accepted to accept their lead, though most of the time, it is Yuri who is leading the investigation.

"Yeah well, the disappearances set aside, Kazuma and I came across some weird legend and religion about the old Japanese army's treasure during the war." Ren added, glancing at the brunette.

"Come to think of it, isn't there some rumours flying around on the Internet about that lately?" Yuri pondered. "Some of the other classes have been talking about it, particularly the A class."

At the mention of their self-proclaimed 'rivals', the rest of Q class frowned. "Religion and a legend about a treasure?" Kinta echoed.

"It's actually a legend called 'Eki Shin Kyou'." Ren explained. "Apparently, the village worship a god of plagues who brings about epidemics. As far as I know, the history dates back as far as the end of the war."

"God of epidemics, huh?" Ryu mused.

"Now that you've mentioned it, I've read in the newspaper about there being a cult boom recently." Megu pondered. "Many young people have started to live in the village as a result. The missing college student that Dan-sensei have told us about came here on a field trip with the university's 'torehan' club."

"'Torehan'?" Kinta echoed, question marks nearly floating above his head.

"'Toreja-hantingu'." Yuri was the one to explain. "It is a term used to describe a club that hunts for treasure." She then frowned. "And I don't about you guys, but I think it best if we say that we came here as a torehan group too. I don't like the feeling that I got about this case. All the disappearances… I don't think that any of them are alive anymore."

A deathly silence fell among the group before Ryu broke the uneasy silence. "Well, I guess that you've got a point there," he said. "Whoever the culprit is, he had made a person's disappearance look like 'Kamikakushi' – a disappearance as if someone had been abducted by a God or some unknown force. If whoever is behind it discovers that we're investigating the case, _we_ might be the next to disappear too."

Finally, after walking for about ten minutes in deathly silence after Ryu's proclamation, all six teens (with one pre-teen among them), came across the mouth of a dark tunnel in front of them. Kinta frowned, scratching his head. "So this is the tunnel that Megu is talking about," he said. "The tunnel that leads to Hyoutan Village."

"Let's go," said Ren bravely before leading the way into the tunnel, followed by the rest of his classmates.

The tunnel was dark and lit with the occasional lights on the walls for people passing through the tunnel to see their way. But apart from that, there wasn't really anything at all.

"This is a pretty long tunnel, isn't it?" Megu stated.

"It fits perfectly with the village and a creepy case like the 'Kamikakushi'." Kinta reasoned. He then spotted a bright shaft of light ahead of them. "Oh, there's the exit!"

And the lot of them emerged out onto bright sunlight, where they have to blink their eyes several times to get used to the sudden brightness after having been in darkness for the past ten or so minutes. A large signpost in the shape of a gourd hanging on the wall was the first thing that greeted them.

Yuri blinked slowly as she read the words on the signpost. "'Welcome to Hyoutan Village'?" she echoed.

"That's kind of disappointing…" Kazuma muttered.

"Well, what were you expecting, Kazuma?" Ren asked, turning towards the youngest in their group. "Demons and snakes, maybe?"

Kazuma blushed as the others laughed. Ryu smirked to himself in amusement before turning away. "Come on, let's go."

It was a relatively quiet and peaceful village that greeted them as they walked through the streets, with not a single soul in sight. They soon found the inn that they were supposed to be staying in for the night, with the words 'Ryousanpaku Main Building' written on the signboard above the doors.

"That should be the hotel that we're going to be staying in tonight." Kinta reasoned.

* * *

"Ren, you placed this in my bag by mistake," said Yuri with slight annoyance, sliding opened the shoji door to Ryu and Ren's room in the hotel ten minutes later. "Don't leave such an important item lying everywhere, would you?"

They have met a television crew filming for a new show earlier, with the lot of them scaring them nearly all out of their wits with the masks with the purple spots that they were wearing. They have then met the hotel owner and the two waitresses later on, and were then assigned to their rooms. Megu and Yuri, being the only girls there, were sharing a room together. Ren and Ryu were sharing another one together, and so were Kazuma and Kinta.

"Ah. Sorry." Ren apologised, taking his notebook in which was written all the notes and details of everything that he'd ever researched from Yuri, with the occasional tabs marking some of the pages.

Ryu who was sitting at the table thinking hard about something looked up in surprise just then. "In your bag?" he echoed.

"Hmm?" Yuri turned towards Ryu, noticing a semi-strange look in his eyes that was gone the next moment that she could only wonder if it is a trick of the light. "Oh. Ren lived next door to me, and I was helping him pack last night, or he'll probably realise that he had forgotten to pack this or that once we're here."

"Oh." Ryu said, sounding oddly relieved. "I'm glad that you're here, Yuri." Yuri raised a confused brow. "What do you think about those masks from earlier?"

"The ones that the TV crew were wearing earlier?" Ren questioned, flipping through his notebook even as Yuri sat down at the table that the two boys were sitting at, and Ryu nodded. "The masks kind of look creepy." He admitted.

Yuri sighed. Something had been bothering her ever since she had seen those masks. "Those purple dots… I think those masks represented smallpox," she said, and Ryu nodded in agreement with her. Ren only blinked in surprise. "It's a horrible epidemic which has existed ever since the birth of Christ. Pus-filled blisters appear all over the body, and more than half of the people who contracted this disease died. Back in 1980, it was announced that it was eliminated, but even now, supposedly, some countries were studying it as a biological weapon. It's the strongest and worst virus ever, as it's airborne."

Ren frowned. "If those masks represented smallpox though, why would they put it on masks?" he questioned.

Ryu frowned. "Maybe in their religion, they believe that the smallpox epidemic is the work of their god, so it's probably a form of worship," he answered. "Such cursed gods exist all over the world."

"I don't know about you, but on the way here, I've noticed lots of mysterious things in this village," said Yuri with a frown. She started to tick the points off on her fingers. "The legend of the treasure that the old Japanese army left behind, and the Eki Shin Kyou religion that this village supposedly worships, with those weird masks."

"And the 'Kamikakushi' in Kamikakushi Village." Ryu finished. "Something's definitely up."

**XXXXXX**

And so, that night, all six members of the Q class were gathered in the girls' room that night, with several bags of chips opened on the table that they were all seated at, with cups of green tea in front of each of them. Kazuma and Ren both have their laptops opened on their laps, with Ren having his ever eternal notebook in one hand, with a pen in the other.

"So what's our next plan of action then?" Kinta asked.

"According to the data that DDS had provided us with, the hotel where the student had stayed is in Kamikakushi Village on the other side of the tunnel, through the annex to this hotel." Kazuma stated, glancing at the information currently displayed on his laptop's screen.

"I've done some asking around earlier when you were all unpacking." Yuri piped up just then. "Apparently, there's a rule in this village."

Megu raised a confused eyebrow. So that explains just why Yuri had disappeared for about an hour earlier that day when they were all unpacking their stuff in their rooms. "Rule?" she echoed.

Yuri nodded. "Apparently, in order for us to be able to get into Kamikakushi Village, we need to put on those masks. You know, those masks that the TV crew have scared us with earlier this afternoon?" she questioned. "The TV crew have borrowed most of the masks from this hotel, and only three masks are left now. And no one in the village would willingly loan us their masks."

"How about taking another route to sneak into the village?" Kinta suggested.

Kazuma nearly sighed at this. "Kinta, have you even been _listening _to Ren when he was explaining the layout of the two villages before we came here?" he questioned, exasperated, and question marks nearly appeared over Kinta's head. The brunette sighed. "Why do I even bother?" He nearly groaned, and Megu giggled. He then turned his laptop around so that the screen is facing everyone else, with the diagram of both Hyoutan Village and Kamikakushi Village visible on the screen. "Hyoutan Village and Kamikakushi Village are both like solitary islands, surrounded by cliffs on every side. There's no other way to get there except through the tunnel." Kazuma jabbed his finger at the diagram of the tunnel that connects the two villages together.

Everyone was silent as they pondered on their next act of action before Ryu spoke up, having been rather silent all this while. "Let's split into two groups," he said. "Among the six of us, three of us will borrow the masks and go to Kamikakushi Village. That's the only choice that we have."

"But who should go?" Kazuma asked in confusion. "It'll be difficult to decide, and not to mention that it's going to be dangerous. I mean, the murderer might be hiding there after all."

"You've got a point there." Megu said nervously, chewing on her bottom lip.

Yuri 'hmmed' before looking at her classmates. "If you guys may hear me out for a second?" she asked, only to have her five classmates turning their attention towards her. "I think that Ryu and Ren should both go to the village." She turned towards the blue haired teen who is like the unofficial second leader of the Q class, with a wit and intellect sharp enough to match hers. "You want to go as well, don't you?"

Ryu smiled and nodded. "You've read my mind as always," he said. "That's right, I want to go. Like you've said, Yuri, there certainly is something weird about that isolated village. I want to know the truth, no matter how dangerous it seems."

Yuri sighed. "Not that I want to blow my own horn, but all of you knew that apart from me, Ryu is the only one who might probably be able to piece the pieces together if something ever happens over there. That's why I think that Ryu should go."

"And Ren?" Kinta questioned.

"Well, apart from Kazuma, he is the only one that excels at information gathering among us." Yuri reasoned. "Furthermore, he can take care of himself, or have you forgotten about how he had disabled the culprit during the site incident?" Kinta looked embarrassed at that.

"Then who should be the third person?" Kazuma asked with interest, looking at their unofficial leader.

Yuri 'hmmed' before turning towards Megu. "Megu, would you mind going?" she asked, and the only other girl apart from Yuri blinked owlishly.

"Me?" Megu nearly squeaked.

Yuri nodded. "Ryu and Ren might both need your photographic memory over there," she said. "Besides, if something happens over _here _whilst the three of you are over _there,_ I'm pretty sure that we can handle it with me, Kazuma and Kinta."

"Alright, the groups are decided then." Ryu stated. "So Ren, Megu and I would head over to Kamikakushi Village tomorrow morning. By the way, Yuri, I think it'll put all of our minds at ease, Ren's especially, if you room in with Kinta and Kazuma during the rest of our stay here. We don't know where the murderer is hiding after all."

Yuri nodded slowly, but Ren didn't look too pleased at having a lone girl room in with two boys. Kazuma is another matter, but Kinta is a healthy eighteen-year-old high school student after all. "Kinta, if you do anything to Yuri whilst she is rooming in with you both, I'll suggest you run. Run as fast as you can." The silver haired teen warned, and Kinta gulped.

"G-Got it," he squeaked.

"Well, Ryu, Yuri and I all have cellphones with us, so we'll be able to contact each other if we ever need to," said Ren, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket, and Ryu and Yuri followed suit.

"That decides the groups then," said Megu with a nod. "I don't have to say this for Ryu, Ren and me, but be careful, the three of you." She turned towards the three who would be remaining in Hyoutan Village. "Looks like this is going to be one complicated and dangerous case."

Kinta grunted. "We know that!"

**XXXXXX**

Later in the night, Ryu who was passing through the hallways of the hotel to get a quick drink raised a curious eyebrow when his sharp ears caught the sound of light clacking on the keys of a keyboard out in the main hall of the hotel where there were a few couches for visitors to relax in for a few moments.

Megu and Yuri have both spoken to the hotel owner about the rooms once Megu, Ryu and Ren would be departing to Kamikakushi Village the next morning, and the owner didn't have any problems with letting three kids room in with each other, as long as they don't get up to anything funny.

It was rather late in the night after all, and the lights of the hotel were mostly dimmed, as most of the occupants were already asleep, even the owner of the hotel and the two waitresses. Ryu followed the sound of the light tapping on keyboard keys to the main hall, only to see Yuri curled up on one of the couches in the main hall, a laptop opened on her lap, a look of intense concentration on her face.

"Yuri?" Ryu called out, and Yuri gave a light start before turning around to face him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He approached Yuri before sitting in the couch next to her. "What are you doing up this late? Not sleeping yet?"

Yuri smiled weakly at Ryu. "No. I can't get to sleep, and I thought that I should do some research on my own about the Kamikakushi cases, and about the two villages," she said. She then frowned. "I don't know about you, but something bothers me about the two villages. As far as I know, the two villages were built during the war, but villages back then are usually built in populated areas, right? Not in isolated places like in the middle of a mountain, for example."

Ryu sighed. "Yeah, something bothers me about that too," he admitted. "And I know that Ren thinks the same. Apart from us two, I think that he's the only one who feels that something is wrong. And not to blow my own horn, but the three of us are probably the sharpest in both wit and intellect among us six."

Yuri giggled. "Don't let Kinta hear you say that, or you'll never hear the end of it," she said. She then turned back towards her laptop, and started tapping away on it again. "I'm not so much as a computer genius like Ren and Kazuma, but I'm still good enough at computers to find information about Kamikakushi Village and Hyoutan Village."

Ryu frowned, thinking back on what Dan-sensei have briefed them on, and he then pulled out his notebook from his back pocket. Ever since their 'test' on that island, he and Yuri have both started developing the habit of writing every single detail on any case that they're investigating in a little notebook. Probably a habit that Ren had passed onto them. Megu doesn't need to, as with her photographic memory, she can remember everything clearly. And Ryu doesn't know about Yuri, but he finds that he can think things clearly if he wrote everything down.

"Hey Yuri." Ryu spoke, his eyes scanning down the contents of his notebook, and Yuri 'hmmed', not looking up from her laptop. "What do you think about this case, really?"

The tapping stopped, and Yuri looked up. "I was hoping to get either you or Ren alone so that we could talk about this without the others hearing," she admitted. "I am a little worried. My instincts haven't failed me yet, and I got a pretty bad feeling about this case. There is something more to it than mere disappearances. And even so, what is with the disappearances? Whoever the culprit is, why is he doing this? I've checked on the seven disappearances as well. There is no known connection between them, sans for the fact that nearly half of them came here for treasure hunting."

"That's a good question," said Ryu with a frown. "Ren asked me the same thing before he fell asleep. But if we don't know the answer, then it'll be our job to figure that out, right?"

Yuri smiled. "Yeah," she said with a nod. "Also, I've been researching on Kamikakushi Village and Hyoutan Village." She gestured towards the screen on her laptop, and Ryu scooted over next to her, inviting a faint blush from the dark haired girl. "There is some rumour going around about the missing college student that Dan-sensei had told us about. A rumour that stated that the college student seemed to have noticed something about the secret of the treasure that the old Japanese army had hidden away after the war. He left a memo behind, right? Well, this is the memo. An old contact of mine sent me this. It looks awfully like the infinity symbol, yet I have a feeling that it is not."

Ryu furrowed a brow at the scribble of the college student's memo – the infinity symbol. He blinked just as Yuri looked over her shoulder towards the direction of the hot springs just then, frowning slightly. "What's wrong, Yuri?" he asked, perplexed.

Yuri blinked before turning back towards him, shaking her head slightly. "N-No, it's nothing. I thought that I heard something from the gardens near the hot springs," she said. "It's probably just my imagination. Now where were we?" She pondered, before her memory came back to her. "Oh right. This memo. I got a feeling that the college student drew this with a meaning in mind. Just what exactly, I don't know."

Ryu frowned. Let's not mention Yuri being confused, even he himself can't make out the meaning of the drawing. "Did you show this to Ren?" he asked, and Yuri nodded.

"Yeah, I did. He doesn't know what it is either," she said.

Ryu then frowned, thinking about something unrelated to the case. "Hey Yuri, I know that I'm the newest to the Q class, and that I don't know the rest of you that long yet, but I've been wondering… You and Ren seemed awfully close. You both dating or something?"

Yuri nearly choked on empty air just then, and she turned towards Ryu, confusion written all over her face. "What in the world gives you _that _idea?" she nearly squeaked.

Ryu blinked, and something in him can't help feeling relieved at Yuri's outburst. "You mean… You both aren't going out?"

"Hell no!" Yuri nearly squeaked. "We're childhood friends. He is almost like a brother to me. We knew each other ever since our kindergarten days." She relaxed slightly. "I don't know if Ren told you this, as I know for a fact that he never like to announce it. Even Megu, Kinta and Kazuma don't know, as Ren doesn't like people pitying him. But you both seem pretty good friends already, so I guess it wouldn't hurt if you know." Ryu blinked. Know what? "Ren is an orphan. Both his parents died not long before I met him – when we're about five or six or so. As he has no other relatives, a guardian was assigned to him, and they both moved in next door to me. That's how I met him, and we even attended the same school and class all the way to middle school. His guardian passed away due to health complications a few years back, and the court then declared him as an emancipated minor, as he has no other relations to speak of."

Ryu blinked slowly. So that's why… When he had first met the silver haired teen, he had felt a connection to him immediately, not quite like the one that he with Yuri. He felt as if Ren could understand him, and vice versa, and the two could quite easily carry on conversations that can last for hours.

"We should turn in soon," said Yuri, closing her laptop. "We still have a long day tomorrow, and you, Ren and Megu still have to head to Kamikakushi Village in the morning."

"I know," said Ryu as they both got up from the couch. "I'll walk you back to your room. You'll be rooming in with Kinta and Kazuma after tonight, right?"

"Yeah," said Yuri as they approached the room that she shared with Megu. "Ryu, keep an eye on Ren and Megu for me whilst you're over at Kamikakushi. I don't know why, but I feel like I can count on you to keep them both safe."

Ryu blushed slightly, fortunately unseen due to the darkness of the hallway. "S-Sure."

**XXXXXX**

All six members of Q class were awake and having their breakfast at eight in the morning in the girls' room before Ren, Ryu and Megu would head to Kamikakushi Village. Yuri was currently absent, as she's currently at the receptionist desk to turn in the stay of two of the rooms that they've occupied last night.

"Where's Yuri?" asked Ren as both he and Ryu walked into the room, both with their bags slung over one shoulder, settling down in two of the empty seats, tucking into their breakfast.

"She's at the receptionist desk," said Megu. "Both of you packed?"

Ren nodded. "Naturally."

The shoji door slid opened once more, and Yuri entered, a puzzled look on her face. "Hey, did something happen with the TV crew that I wasn't aware of?" she questioned, closing the door behind her.

Megu blinked slowly. "Not that I'm aware of. Why?" she asked.

Yuri tilted one thumb over her shoulder. "I've overheard them arguing when I'm making my way over here from the receptionist desk," she answered, and both Ren and Ryu perked up at that. "One of them had gone missing. I think that it's the reporter lady with the purple hair. Azegami Rio-san, I think is her name." She said slowly.

Kinta grinned, resting his cheek on one hand. "It can't be another 'Kamikakushi' incident, can it?" he joked.

The remaining five looked at each other, their faces pale, before Ryu, Ren, Megu and Kazuma rose from their places, causing Kinta to blink. "O-Oi, where are you going?"

**XXXXXX**

Megu was startled when a cup of green tea was shoved into her vision, and she looked up only to see Yuri offering a warm cup of green tea.

"Yuri-chan…" Megu muttered.

"Have something warm to drink," said Yuri. "It'll make you feel better."

Megu nodded hesitantly before taking the cup with shaking hands. "T-Thank you," she muttered.

"But really… Things have gotten serious, don't they?" Yuri muttered, dropping into the couch next to Megu in the main hall of the hotel.

The Q class members, along with the TV crew and the hotel owner, Kurozumi Kogorou – an old man that seemed to be in his late sixties, have gone searching for the missing reporter, only to have the search lead them all the way to the gardens behind the open-air hot springs where Kazuma had used oxydol, also known as hydrogen peroxide, to search for blood stains. They have then discovered the dead body of Azegami in one of the graves in the village's graveyard, clutching a piece of paper containing a similar diagram that Ryu and Yuri have both seen just the previous night – the memo that the missing college student had left behind before his disappearance. And it was then that the hotel owner's son, Kurozumi Ryou had made his appearance, bringing with him a cryptic message.

"'This is only the beginning. It's a warning from the god of epidemics'." Megu repeated the words of Ryou slowly. She then turned towards Yuri. "What does it all means, Yuri-chan?"

Yuri shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted.

* * *

_A/N: As you might have figured out by now, I'm skipping over the earlier cases before they were sent to the island for the 'Jack the Ripper' case. I'll be focusing more on the more serious cases in the anime, and maybe making a few up myself. As far as romance goes, I'll be taking it slow._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!_


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